The invention relates generally to a process and apparatus for producing press-molded articles from a particulate material, and particularly to a process and apparatus for producing press-molded articles having cavities therein.
Press-molded articles produced by the process of the invention may be further processed to obtain bodies which have a large internal surface area for use in physical and chemical reactions. For this the molded bodies may be microporous, that is having capillaries extending between individual cavities, which capillaries for their part serve to increase the internal surface area. It is also possible for the internal surface area to be formed exclusively by the cavities. In such physical or chemical processes the molding compound from which the pressed article is made may itself be a reactant, for instance a catalytic reactant, or the molding compound may be mixed with a substance which is a reactant, or the body may be coated with a substance, for example by vapour deposition, and for this coating to be effective as a reactant, for instance as a catalytic reactant.
Molded bodies obtained from the process of the invention may be used wherever large surface areas are needed, for example in the exchange of heat between aggressive media.
The final conversion of the press-molded articles formed by the process of the invention into molded bodies is achieved in any conventional, way, such as baking or sintering.